Overview:
It is no secret that Arizona is in
the midst of a significant population
increase. As more people move
to the state wanting new homes,
less land is available for wildlife.
As a result, people are encountering
animals more frequently than
they may have in the past. Although
normally this is not a problem,
some animals can raise fear and
alarm in many people. Mountain
lions are the prime example.
However, with careful management
and wise decisions by all people,
living with wildlife does not
have to be a scary proposition.

The purpose of this unit is to
help students gain a better understanding
of mountain lions and the methods
used to manage them in the state.
This unit begins with a focus on
mountain lion biology, particularly
the adaptations that make the animal
a good predator. In the first lesson,
students compare their own abilities
at jumping, seeing, and hearing to
those of the lion. The second lesson
allows students to study the basics
of mountain lion diet by researching
one of the animal’s possible
food chains and the subsequent food
web.

The next three lessons explore
the interactions of mountain lions
and
humans in the United States through
history. First, students are given
the opportunity to compare the
population density of humans to the
range of
mountain lions. Then, in Lesson
4, the students read a short article
that explains the history of predator
management policies initiated by
the government. Lesson 5 requires
the students to identify potentially
dangerous mountain lion behaviors
and the appropriate human responses.

After learning about the biology
and history of mountain lions, students
will learn about the effects that
society has on wildlife management.
In Lesson 6, students are asked to
play the role of a community member.
While in this role, they are to debate
a particular issue regarding mountain
lions and, as a class, come to a
consensus for the appropriate manner
in which to handle the animal.

Although these lessons were designed
as a unit, they can stand by themselves
and be taught individually. However,
some activities may require familiarity
with concepts or skills that were
taught in earlier lessons. Make
sure to read through the lesson and
determine
what knowledge your students are
expected to know before carrying
it out with the students.

Suggested
Grade Levels:
6–12

Time Frame:
10–12 days (45 minutes each
day)

Enduring Understandings:
After completing the activities contained
in this unit, the student should understand
these basic concepts:

All energy in an ecosystem comes
from the sun.

Animals eat food to obtain the
energy necessary for survival.

Changes to one part of an ecosystem
can affect all other parts of that
ecosystem.

Specialists are species that depend
on a particular food source while
generalists are capable of surviving
on a variety of food types.

All organisms have adaptations
that allow them to survive in particular
environments.

Human activities can affect the
potential for hazards.

Human population growth can negatively
affect the survival of other species.

Wildlife management is based on
science as well as the social pressures
of the time.

Arizona Department
of Education Standards:
The lessons in this unit were designed
to present an integrated approach
to learning. Not only will the students
be introduced to science concepts
dealing specifically with mountain
lion natural history, but they will
also develop social and skills. Through
the course of this unit, they will
read nonfiction text, use the Internet
to perform research, and participate
in a role-play scenario. Although
each lesson includes the specific
performance objectives achieved for
each grade level, the following general
concepts are covered:

Subject

Strand

Lessons

1

2

3

4

5

6

Science

1

x

x

x

x

2

x

x

3

x

x

x

x

4

x

x

x

5

6

Social
Studies

1

x

x

2

3

x

x

4

x

x

5

Download
this unit:
The lessons in this unit are available
in a standard PDF form or can be accessed
directly from the internet by teachers
and students: